Miss E. P. Peabody

June 2nd 1837

New York
19 Irving Place

My dear Miss Lowell, -

I was unexpectedly de-
tained a day longer in Boston
by the mistake of a [?] [maker ?]
and I grieve to say I did forget
that I had as it were appointed
a meeting with you - But I did
not probably think you would
go - & so I did not think to
Countersay it - as in one or two
other instances - I can only say
for excuse that I was very much
Confused at the last moment.
But I am very glad to get the
letters & very much obliged -

I found here when I arrived
last night a letter from you - from
Mr Snelling  - & from poor [Mrs ?]
Solger herself. - I cannot think
there can be law anywhere for
a person to forfeit a house for
which they have paid & all whose
taxes they have paid {  ?  ?  ?]
ever since Dr. S died or was
disabled.  No notice was ever
served to her those two years that
she ever knew of - & of course she
did not know of the absolvement
Dr Solger led his life [  ?] &





the $2000 was paid her and she
went straight to Mr Hooper and
paid what he had advanced
who had paid the bill before
it was due in order to deliver
her from the person who had
sold the house and wanted to get
it back again. This is a clear
case of a dwindling trick by some
desperate rascal  who takes
advantage of her helplesness.
I have already written the whole
account of the matter to a noble
and gifted young lawyer of Washing
-ton - Marcellus Bailey - and
begged him to go to her at once
and see all about it - telling him
how entirely every cent has
been honorably paid that she
knew was due and I feel sure
she will be righted.
I do not know whether you
know that the first $1000 paid
on that house was borrowed
from some men - Germans
I believe principally for whom
Dr Solgen obtained places as
treasury clerks - and who imme-
diatly when he was sick came
to clean him[ ?] - and whom she kept






at bay by paying monthly
all the salary which she received
(getting the rest of her living by
the boarders and her french scholars)
and she promised them she would
pay all if they would not tor-
ment him. She has continued
to pay ever since by these [ ?]
statements and lately told me
she had still three hundred
dollars to pay. She is therefore
without means to buy off the
man and he ought not to be bought
off. - She says now her french
lessons stop and her boarders di-
minish for the Summer. But
she had just received a letter
from me in which I spoke as
usual a great deal of her husband
and she says that has comforted her
so much (the sympathy) that she
feels calmer - and sent to her
lawyer to see if he would not
adjust it. I do not know his
name or character and so I
asked Mr Bailey to go and see a-
bout it. She will do all that can
be done and I have written to her
that I have done so.
Mrs Dana is perfectly friendly to
Mrs Solgen - and perfectly sincere
subjectedly - but I must tell you
that she is not reliable being a
victim of epileptic fits - and always
in a state of insanity - though not
perhaps of derangement - Should





you ever see and talk with her
you would perceive that this is
so and I happen to know it - & so does
Mrs Solgen - who discovered his
insanity by her own observation
before she was told of it by me
with its cause. I do not doubt
however that there is something
very important in her report by
Julius. I know he is utterly un-
controllable by his mother - and
by himself - so powerful is his
temperament and so wholly un-
disciplined as he has always
been. Dr Solgen had very false
theories with respect to his
duties as husband and father
though the most pure & profound
feelings - and he trusted too
implicitly to circumstances to
instruct the mind - and was
too jealous of using his personal
influence over their thinking.
Hence Mrs Solgen never knew
the grounds of her protestant faith
but only his anti-catholicism
and the children had no clear
ideas of duly given to them.
Julius needed this especially
being passionate rather than
intellectual & poor Mrs Solgen
has neither the comforts of Protestant
or Catholic religion - and realises noth-
ing in the universe greater than her
own broken heart -  which is to me such
a testimony to the reality of the soul
who is love. I have written to Mrs Sol
gen that we have all - you - Mr Snelling
and I - all her friends heard rumours of his
dangerous condition - and we think that
someplace must be found where he
can go and be educated feeling the control
over him of a strong will - and having





his mind trained to self
discipline or he will be
ruined, and that no money
he can earn now should be
put in competition with it.
I have therefore prepared her
for any suggestion her friends
may make - and I shall speak
to Mr Kafp about it - Dr
Solgen's German friend
in New York. Mrs Solgen
will not be surprised at
my advice to her about
Julius because his faults
are a common subject be
tween us. He has a good
heart and loves her as many
another undutiful son loves
his mother - but having no
selfcontrol constantly dis
pleases her. Mrs Ripley
is all but dead and Mrs
Simmons can do nothing but
nurse her and try not attempt
it - having taken her to her
house - while Elizabeth keeps
the old manse and has a family
to board with her in which
she is much interested - Julius
needs a man to take care of
him - I wish there were a





Schneffenshal here -
I suppose you have read
that delightful life
of Carl Ritter - by Gage  -
published by [Scorbener ?] -
as well as Lessings Life -
If not you have a
great treat in both.
I have just got another
heart breaking note
from Mrs Solgen as
now she has got $500
to earn and pay - for
she still has 300 of those
other debts. I trust she
will not die. But such
shocks as these are
killing - I will enclose
her note - When you
see Mr Snelling show it
to him and keep it for me
if it should prove the
[last?] - Well, GOD reigns!
Yours [kindly?] E.P. Peabody